In a sprawling article by Mesfin Fekadu on Thursday, the A.P. compares the 19-year-old’s recent streak of rebellion to those of downward-spiraling pop stars past, including Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, Mackenzie Phillips, and Corey Feldman. Former Backstreet Boy Nick Carter offers a cautionary tale about a movie audition he messed up because he was “just out of [his] head” and how, because of his wild years, he now has “to make up for all the things [he’s done].” New Kids on the Block heartthrob and currently underrated Wahlberg brother Donnie provides analysis of the situation from the perspective of a wizened pop sensation. And both Carter and Wahlberg avoid offering advice through the A.P. mouthpiece because “when they were in his position, they wouldn’t have listened.”

Meanwhile, Bieber, who has enjoyed a relatively tame week in headlines, is “doing some writing” in his downtime, according to his Twitter feed, and practicing his French while in Paris. “Merci again. haha. gnite,” he told fans after professing his love to them the night before with “Je T’aime.”